Marine scientists gathering data off the Golden Gate have zeroed in on a number of hotspots of biodiversity, including transects north and south of the Farallon Islands. Turns out, though, that even hot spots aren't so hot when a toxic red tide rolls in.

Artist Eva Chrysanthe has always been intrigued by the Farallon Islands, those distant humps on the western horizon. But when she discovered a trove of old letters about the islands, she discovered a dramatic story that's taking shape as a new graphic novel about the Farallon Egg Wars. She'll talk about the project this Thursday in San Francisco.